Welcome to Arrest Stories. A fifty-five-year-old Eustis man was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping after allegedly offering a teenage girl three hundred dollars to get into his vehicle and attempting to physically pull her inside when she refused. Here's what may have happened.
On Saturday around three thirty in the afternoon, seventeen-year-old victim had just left Eustis Discount Tobacco and Gas convenience store when she was walking in the area of East Pinehurst Boulevard and South Grove Street in Eustis, Florida. Gregory Dewayne Lockwood, driving a white Nissan SUV with aftermarket silver rims and black trim, approached the teenager.
According to police reports, Lockwood initially asked the girl for a good place to get drinks before offering her three hundred dollars to get in his vehicle to party and get alcohol. When the victim declined his offer, Lockwood became angry and grabbed her left arm from the driver's side front window, attempting to pull her into the vehicle. The girl broke free, remained uninjured, and ran for help.
The entire interaction was captured on surveillance video. Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri stated, "Somebody's going to talk somebody against their will, that's a serious problem, and I'll tell you right now it's not happening in my city."
Officers used the victim's description, surveillance cameras, license plate tag readers, and a tip from the public to quickly locate Lockwood. Police conducted a photo lineup on the same day as the incident. On January sixth, officers arrived at Lockwood's residence around two fifteen in the afternoon to make the arrest. When officers knocked on the front door, Lockwood attempted to flee through the back of the home, but an officer was positioned there waiting.
Chief Capri confirmed, "He put himself there. I can tell you that. Post Miranda, he put himself at the scene."
Lockwood was taken into custody and his bond was set at five hundred thousand dollars. Chief Capri emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "It's very serious, very scary when you think about it. There are individuals out here that prey on children, and that's a problem we have zero tolerance for."
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.